2011 Nissan Juke SV, an AW Drivers Log

January 3, 2011

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COPY CHIEF WENDY WARREN KEEBLER: Most notable about the Juke is the bold exterior, a daring design in the compact-SUV segment, where convention dictates a two-box form. The look is amusing but probably not commercial, kind of wacky like that of its sibling the Cube. I personally don't care for it and would be turned off from buying it because of its odd-duck appearance. It will be interesting to see how it fares in the marketplace.

The ride seems smooth, although it's hard to judge in the super-cold conditions. It has plenty of power, and the steering feels light and lubricious, with what seemed to be a slow ratio. This made the car--which is quite narrow in track--feel stable and lane-centered.

COPY EDITOR CYNTHIA L. OROSCO-WRIGHT: I rather like the look of the Juke, but then again, I am generally one who goes for cars that don't look like every other ride on the road. And this Juke certainly fits that description. It gets lots of looks on the expressway, in parking lots, etc. I like how you can see the tops of the bulbous headlights from inside the vehicle, and I like the rounded sheetmetal and the creases.

Inside, the red accents on the center console, the doors and the seat fabric are eye-catching. There is decent legroom but not a lot of shoulder room with winter coats on. The back seat looks to provide good room, but the cargo area leaves something to be desired. There is not much space at all behind the back seats. We threw a garbage bag full of bottles and cans to return to the store back there, and after one store stop, there wasn't much room for the bag holding those purchases. After two other stops and many purchases, we ended up filling half of the back seat with bags because the cargo hold was full.

Aside from this, the cabin is a fine place to be. The controls are all right at hand and easy to use. There are lots of hard plastics but they don't look cheapy. And the Juke warmed up quickly on a cold afternoon.

The turbocharged four-cylinder provides good power for expressway runs and in passing. There is some turbo lag but nothing major. But the CVT is super buzzy, especially off the line; it seems to quiet down once you get into a groove.

Overall, I think the Juke is a fine ride. Would I buy this over some other crossovers or small utes if that was the type of vehicle for which I was in the market? Probably not, just because the price seems a bit high for what's included and it doesn't offer all of the space I would like. But just as I like Nissan's funky Cube, I have a soft spot now for this Juke.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR--AUTOWEEK.COM BOB GRITZINGER: This has to be the coolest vehicle I've driven in 2010. I'm not sure what I like more: the visible-from-the-driver's-seat turn signals on the front corners, the magically changing center stack display, the rev-happy turbo engine or the wild exterior styling.

Though the 1.6-liter turbo engine is hardly punchy by any measure, the CVT, slapstick shifter and sport settings seem to get the most out it, making it truly fun to drive. The all-wheel drive helps lay the power down without any trace of torque steer. Steering is light a low speeds, tauter as speeds increase, with a noticeable bump in effort when sport mode is engaged. I suppose I could see using the normal mode in stop-and-go commuter driving, and the eco driving mode on long trips to save fuel, but otherwise, sport is the way to go. It really boosts the engine's peppiness, along with the transmission's reactions and gear-holding and steering responsiveness. Sometimes this stuff is just for show, making little discernable difference in driving characteristics. Not so in the Juke.

The colored interior trim and matching thread in the seat upholstery is nice, but the “wow, cool!” interior feature has to be aforementioned center stack info screen, which switches from a climate control readout to vehicle dynamic report at the touch of a button. Maybe the only silly part is the g meter, with no numbers on the scale to indicate actual forces. On the other hand, for serious drivers, the meter could be handy to help keep the car balanced in extreme driving maneuvers.

The exterior styling seems to sacrifice cargo and rear-seat space for looks, but at least the result is a fresh and different look. The back seat is tight on legroom and shoulder room, but the roofline does provide ample headroom.

For this money, with keyless entry and ignition, automatic climate control, turbo power, navigation, a strong audio system with built-in mp3 player connections, multiple driving modes and all-wheel drive, it seems like a deal, even if it is a tiny tot.

I love this crazy little bug.

ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR/DESIGNER TARA KLEIN: The cartoonish contours of the Juke make for a great first impression, and I was excited to hop in and see what else this small SUV has to offer. The interior kept surprising me with the vibrant red accents and coordinating fabric. Usually, I would think this material and color combination is too loud, but the Juke all around pushes the styling envelope and pushes it well.

I had plenty of room in the driver's seat, but I couldn't help but notice that if I had more than one passenger, that the poor soul in the back would be a little crunched. I agree with Bob that it is a trade off for the looks, and if you don't always plan on having people in the rear seats, it could be worth it.

Another aspect of this car that both Bob and I agree on is the coolness factor of the lower screen on the center stack. I can see this idea being picked up by other manufacturers to be used in a way to save space on the center stack and to display a wider array of information to the driver.

As far as the ride goes, it's consistent with most other small SUVs--smooth for the most part, but it takes bumps more harshly than, say, cars. Initially, the Juke doesn't blow you away with its power off the line, but it is completely adequate for the expressway or regular two-lane traffic.

On my way home with the Juke, I stopped at the bookstore to finish up some Christmas shopping. As I walked out of the store at closing time, I saw what I thought was our Juke, with the doors ajar.

As I tried to digest what was going on, a man appeared and yelled, “Oh, don't worry, I'm just looking at your car!”

I responded with a harsh, cold, “Then why are the doors open?!” This was followed by an instantaneous feeling of total humiliation when I realized that this man also owned a Juke, parked perfectly in front of my line of sight from ours. In the dark, I couldn't tell from my original distance that his wore the lighter chrome silver paint. Oops.

We got to talking, and I learned that he stopped because he originally wanted the gun metallic paint like that our tester and he had never seen one with that paint. In summary, he was pleased with the looks but wasn't impressed with the fuel economy, considering his amount of time spent on the road. He apologized for scaring me, I apologized for putting my mean face on, and we went our separate ways.